"Chimaki" 厄除けの粽

”Chimaki"　That I promise it for a descendant of a charm against plague as the thanks for the warm service that I received in a house of a poor charm against plague (the older brother of the house which was wealth fortune declined it) when "Susanou-no-Mikoto"(素盞鳴命) demanded crash pad on a trip for an old days in a time limit of "Chimaki"(粽)of the Gion festival to let you avoid an evil of an epidemic and let a waist touch a ring of Kaya as the mark is done with ague of "Chimaki"(粽).
A citizen of resurrection that took care of "Susanou-no-Mikoto"(素盞鳴命) to a charm of the Shinto; is written clearly that is the next "Somin-Sorai" (蘇民将来）descendant.
The "Chimaki" is a charm of the ancient Shinto with an article causing happiness to each family.
This ”Chimaki" is sold in each Yamahoko-cho by an eve of Gion-Festival(Matusri).


The "kakkyo-Yama's" Chimaki

2007 Festival Eve

The musical accompaniment of the Gion festival

On July 10, the sound of the musical accompaniment sounds from each Hoko-cho in this time when the assembling of the Hoko float begins.
People call the exercise of this musical accompaniment the second floor musical accompaniment(Nikai-Bayashi).
The town of Kyoto swells until a Gion festival parade day of July 17.

A ceremony to select a turn as in a lottery

2008 Kyoto Gion-Matsuri(festival) ,A ceremony to select a turn as in a lottery.

Because the fight of the Yamahoko-cho did not die out over parade order as for the lottery collecting, it began in 1500 (Meio era 9) years. The end of the war such as Kyoto prefecture or a city hall is Yasaka-jinja Shrine just after that, and six angles of Edo was performed in the days of a temple, Meiji, but a municipal assembly assembly hall suffers from a meeting place from 1953.

2008 The parade order with each float of this year is as follows.

1. Naginata Boko 2. Mousou Yama 3. Aburatenjin Yama 4. Houshou Yama 5. Kanko Boko

6. Taishi Yama 7. Shijyoukasa Boko 8. Urade Yama 9. Niwatori Boko 10. Hakurakuten Yama

11. Araretenjin Yama 12. Yamabushi Yama 13. Tuki Boko 14.Ashikari Yama 15. Ayakasa Boko

16. Tourou Yama 17. Kikusui Boko 18. Tokusa Yama 19. Hakuga Yama 20. Kakkyo Yama

21. Houka Boko 22. Iwato Yama 23. Funa Boko 24. Kitakannon Yama 25.Hashibenkei Yama

26. Kurinushi Yama 27. Hachiman Yama 28. Suzuka Yama 29. Ennogyoujya Yama

30. Koi Yama 31. Jyoumyou Yama 32. Minamikannon Yama

Kippuiri, opening ceremony of festival 2008.

The Gion festival of 08 finally began.
"Kippuiri"opening ceremony of gion-matsuri(festival).
"Kippuiri(吉符入)" Rino Shinto ritual is a ceremony praying for the peace of the Gion festival of this year.

The first time documents Kakkyo-Yama

Life of the Gion festival revival that I stopped by war to (1497) at one time for Meio era five years of the Emperor Gotsuchimikado was emitted by general Yoshizumi Ashikaga of time. Much Yamahoko was rebuilt in the next three or four years. It is this time that Kakkyo-Yama(郭巨山) was founded, and it is Meio era 5.6 years. I see it with "the 16th Mifu Sakuyama Shijo Nishinotouin to Shinmachi " in treasure "description of Gion company" Vol. 15 of Yasaka-jinja Shrine, Jo of Gione-Yamahoko-Shidai-Kujisadme(祇園会山鉾次第以籤定). A news story when this book performed A turn lottery（籤取） with the thing which both persons of Iika Kiyofusa(社家飯加清房 )and Yorishuke( 侍所頼亮) of Gion transcripted as reserving on the occasion of Yamahoko revival after the Onin War (1467) for the first time on Meio era June 6, 9 and established line order was this, and the name of then name "Mifu Sakuyama" Kakkyo-Yama(郭巨山) was seen for the documents for the first time.

The deep pink blossoms of drooping cherry trees

The Garden of Heian JIngu Shirne

Emperor Kammu was born in 737 as the crown prince of Emperor Konin and ascended to the throne in 781 as the 50th Emperor of Japan. Realizing that the capital of Heijo was small in scale and beneath the dignity of our country, Emperor Kammu transfered the capital to Nagaoka in the province of Yamashiro and, further picking the adjoining districts of Kadono and Atago in 793 as the best possible site for the capital, began to construct a new palace. In the following year, the seat of government was moved to the new capital called the Heian Capital.

The Shin'en consists of four gardens which surround the main shrine buildings on the south, west, middle, and east. With a total area of approximateley 33,000 square meters, these stroll-style landscape gardens are designated as a national scenic spot representative of Meiji-era (1868-1912) garden design.

The deep pink blossoms of drooping cherry trees

Most beautiful garden in Japan

The garden which is the most beautiful in Japan.

The most beautiful festival is called the Gion festival in Japan. There is Katsura Imperial Villa called the most beautiful garden in Japan in Kyoto.
Constructed during the early and mid-seventeenth century by Toshihito Shinno and Toshitada Shinno, the first and second generations of the Hachijo-no-Miya family, Katsura Imperial Villa features what is said to be the most beautiful Japanese garden.

Katsura Imperial Villa from Hankyu Kyoto Line Katsura Station: 20-minute walk
from Katsura-rikyu-mae bus stop: 8-minute walk



Katsura Imperial Villa no.1


Ktsura Imperial Villa no.2


Katsura Imperial Villa no.3


Katsura Imperial Villa no.4

It was spring.

It was spring Kyoto Japan
　
April is a season of the openings. In Japan, the school is entrance to school / promotion in April. The town is filled with the new employees of the company with a new suit. Even each save party of the Gion festival prepared for the festival of this year and began a full-scale dead work. It is a season for the Gion festival of July every year. In the town of Kyoto, cherry trees are in full blossom, and spring overflows.



Kyoto channeling "cherry blossoms and ten sightseeing Ishifune" of Okazaki






A noted place of cherry blossoms of Kyoto, the Path of Philosophy are great turnout this year.

SAKURA in Kyoto

Kyoto channeling

Nanzenji-Temple

Kyoto channeling

In the town of Kyoto, cherry blossoms are in full bloom now. The town is great turnout with people visiting the cherry trees in full blossom. It was a season to talk about the plan of this year of the Gion festival slowly.

The Rakutyu-rakugai-zu Screens(洛中洛外図屏風）

(The left side)

(The right side)


Among the inside of the capital city outskirts of Kyoto figure screens which It drew turnout of Kyoto and the scene of the four seasons on, It is the existence oldest thing. In the one of two points of inside of the capital city outskirts of Kyoto figure screens of the Middle Ages which a national history folk museum possesses, I ask it a person from former storehouse name, and it is done with the "the Machidas book" "the Sanjyou book" under an alias. In the generation of a drawn scene, it is thought with (1525) for Taiei era five years. size@ 138.2*342.8cm
The Gion festival of the 16th century is drawn on this screen. As for the Gion festival drawn here, the big difference does not have "the Yama" and "the hoko" of the pike now. It seems that the Gion festival was almost completed in this time.

Gion-Matsuri Schedule of Events

"Gion-Matusri Schedule of Events"

* July 1 through 5 - Kippuiri, opening ceremony of festival, in each participating neighbourhood







* July 2 - Kujitorishiki, lottery for the parade order, in the municipal assembly hall







* July 7 - Shrine visit by chigo children of Ayagasaboko
* July 10 - Lantern parade to welcome mikoshi portable shrines







* July 10 - Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water from the Kamo River
* July 10 through 13 - Building-up of floats


* July 13 a.m. - Shrine visit by chigo children of Naginataboko
* July 13 p.m. - Shrine visit by chigo children of Kuse Shrine







* July 14 - Yoiyoiyoiyama
* July 15 - Yoiyoiyama







* July 16 - Yoiyama
* July 16 - Yoimiya shinshin hono shinji, dedicative art performances
* July 17 - Parade of yamaboko floats









* July 17 - Parade of mikoshi from Yasaka Shrine to the city
* July 24 - Parade of hanagasa or "flower parasols"
* July 24 - Parade of mikoshi from the city to Yasaka Shrine
* July 28 - Mikoshi arai, cleansing of mikoshi by sacred water from the Kamo river
* July 31 - Closing service at Eki Shrine

Yamaboko(Yamahoko) Float Detail

Yamaboko Float Details


The floats in the Yoiyama Parade are divided into two groups, Hoko and Yama, and are collectively called Yamaboko (or Yamahoko). There are 9 of the larger Hoko (long pole or halberd) which represent the 66 spears used in the original purification ritual, and 23 of the smaller Yama which carry life-size figures of famous and important people. All the floats are decorated with beautiful tapestries both from Nishijin (the finest in all of Japan) and imported from all over the world. In addition to the art, there are many traditional musicians and artists sitting in the floats.
Each year the families that maintain the floats draw lots at a special meeting to determine what order they will take in the festival. These lots are issued at a special ceremony before the parade, during which the Mayor of Kyoto dons the robes of a magister. On the Naginata Hoko is the chigo, a young boy in Shinto robes and crowned by a golden phoenix, chosen from among the Kyoto merchant families as the deity's sacred page. After weeks of special purification ceremonies, during which he lives isolated from contaminating influences such as the presence of women, he is carried atop the float as he is not permitted to touch the ground. The boy must cut a sacred rope (shimenawa) with a single stroke to begin the matsuri.

"Hoko Floats"

Niwatoriboko float, one of the first to begin the parade. At the top, festival-goers take turns getting on the float through a side building.
Weight: about 12,000 kg
Height: about 25m from ground to tip / 8 m from ground to roof
Wheel diameter: about 1.9 m
Attendants: about 30-40 pulling during procession, usually 2 men piloting with wedges

"Yama Floats"

Height: about 6 m
Weight: 1,200 – 1,600 kg
Attendants: 14-24 people to pull, push or carry

The Gion Festival Screens

About The Gion Festival Screens
Festivals have been important to people since the Stone Age. Why do you think this is? Perhaps it is related to what is special about being human. Humans used to be called "animals that play" or "animals that use tools." If you think about it, however, you will realize that other animals "play" and "use tools," so these descriptions are no longer acceptable. The only "animals that have festivals," however, are people. Therefore, having festivals can be thought of as a uniquely "human" behavior. There are various types of festivals, but they almost always seem to include some kind of procession. Participants in these processions might walk, run or dance. The festival of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the Gujo Odori Festival at Gujo Hachiman Shrine in Gifu, Japan, are famous because everyone staying up all night dancing! One of the Three Great Festivals in Japan is the Gion Festival in Kyoto. The parade for this festival is probably the most beautiful and elegant procession in all of Japan. Even if you never see the real thing, you can get an idea of what the Gion Festival looks like from a pair of folding screen paintings in the Kyoto National Museum called The Gion Festival Before we discuss these screens, let's talk a little more about the Gion Festival itself. The Gion Festival started in the year 869 A.D. (Jogan 11 by the Japanese calendar). Just one hundred years before, the capital of Japan had moved from Nara to Kyoto. In this same year 869, a great epidemic illness, or plague, spread throughout the Capital causing much death and suffering. In those days, people thought that plagues were the fault of humans who were not living a clean and hygienic life. They thought that plagues were an expression of the gods' anger. In order to end this plague, they thought that they must pacify the angry gods, and thus they created the Gion Festival. Another name for this festival is the Gion Ceremony for the Holy Spirits, showing its religious roots. The first year the festival was held, participants carried sixty-six large halberds (spears) in the procession. Over time, these evolved into floats with tall spear-like spires on the roofs. These floats are called yama (which also means "mountain") and hoko (which also means "spear"). These are the floats used in the Gion Festival parade today. The Gion Festival was held every year after 869 until it was interrupted by the Onin War in the 1460s, during the medieval period. After the fighting ended, the people of Kyoto decided that as they rebuilt the city, they also wanted to improve the Gion Festival. Before the war, the festival had been much like a formal, government ceremony. After the Onin War, however, the festival became more of a celebration for Kyoto's new, flourishing businesses. The businesses were run by merchants, and the Gion Festival became a festival organized, executed, and attended by merchants. The Onin War had revealed the true character of the haughty upper-classes, and as a result, much of their power was transfered to the merchants. The Gion Festival became a symbol of the merchant class's new strength and vitality. Many merchants wanted works of art that pictured their new-found prosperity, so numerous screen paintings were made of the Gion Festival.

Kakkyo-Yama-Cho(Town) Introduction

大きな地図で見る

Kakkyo-yama town's introduction.
Kakkyo-yama to a four-rowed Kakkyo-yama town is Hankyu train about four minutes walk from Karasuma Station. Karasuma Kyoto Municipal Subway four-rowed about four minutes walk from the station. "Eve or Festival" and watch, I think this is convenient transportation.

"Kan-Ko-Sai" Gion-Festiｖal (還幸祭）

During「中御座」(hexagonal [SUSANOWONOMIKOTO]), Eastern「東御座」(quadrangle [KUSHIINADAHIMENOMIKOTO]), West「西御座」(octagon [YAHASHIRANOMIKOGAMI])　”MIKOSHI"「神輿」three groups, and youth「東若御座」east of the shrine parishioner area is　”MIKOSHI"「神輿」parade.

July 10　”MIKOSHI" washing ceremony of the 15th Festival of　”EVE"「宵宮」UTSUSHITA　”MIKOSHI"「神輿」through to the Holy Spirit, will be decorated floats in the July 17 evening departure Yasaka Shrine, mainly　eastern Kamogawa,Kawaramati street and the Teramati "OTABI"「御旅所」the night on a four-rowed.「花傘」Hana-Gasa's parade will be stayed until the 24th, 24th of the evening coming from the area around wetern Teramati expert, returns to Yasaka Shrine late at night.

His main hall from the Holy Spirit "KAN-KO-SAI" after a 28-day waiting "MIKOSHI"「神輿」washing,"MIKOSHI"「神輿」event ends.

"The Maekake" of Kakkyo-yama Gionfestival

As for "the Maekake" giving glory to the front of Kakkyo-Yama , it is had made newly for Tenmei era five years(1785). A design is a figure of Tang beautiful woman play(唐美人遊楽図） comfort in figured brocade of cloth of white background. It seems that it is a pattern from a Chinese historical fact. A thing called right and left of a special feature and "a chest back(胸背）" of the pyramid roof that expressed Chinese phoenix / celadon porcelain tea bowl with cloud-crane pattern / god of the south / Iwanami above is seamed together. As for the thing of last years of a light country in China, this "chest back（胸背）" reaches it by minute embroidery. If a Maekake is had made newly in Tenmei era 5, I face it, and it is thought this "chest back（胸背）" to have made up for for each 4 pieces in five pieces, right and left above because I have a small special feature.

The hometown of Kakkyo(郭巨）

The hometown of Kakkyo( 郭巨) is China. There is the narration of Kakkyo(郭巨) in Hebei in China. According to this, there was the explanation of the place where Kakkyo( 郭巨) dug gold.

It is explanation of Chinese as follows.

明朝人蔡培元和李锡彤辑录的《二十四孝图诗合刊》在我国流传甚广，其中关于“郭巨埋儿”的故事就出在内邱县金店村。　　《内邱县志》有记载，郭巨东汉人，原籍河南林县，因“家贫岁凶”，讨饭流落到内邱县金提镇（即现在的金店村），给人帮佣度日，生活十分艰难。郭巨有一老母和一个不满三岁孩子。老母疼爱孙子，有饭自己舍不得吃，都留给孙子。郭巨对妻子说：“本来能让母亲吃上饭就已很困难，再有儿子分享她的饭食，老人家恐怕就会饿死了。”夫妻为孝敬老人，忍痛抱着孩子来到野外，准备埋掉儿子。谁知挖坑挖到三尺多深，竟挖出一个罐子，里面盛满了黄金。郭巨高兴地抱着孩子和一罐金子回了家，从此一家人再不为衣食发愁。而且郭巨的孝名也传遍了天下。当时，郭巨为感念天恩，曾在挖出金子的地方修建了座“慈仁寺”。后人又在此建了一座“郭巨塔”，以示纪念。

Yasaka-Shrine "Okera-Mairi"

"A Happy New Year"

Act of God of the seeing the old year out of Yasaka-jinja Shrine, "Okera-Mairi" （をけら詣り）　went and worshiped. In a ceremony reaching new age, I bring it in the home in a fuse than "Okera" fire and cook the soup containing vegetables and rice cakes for New Year's Day for New Year holidays in the source and pray for the health in a new year.